Customer service is not for the faint of heart nor is it to be swept under the carpet in your business strategy planning. Master customer service and profit in every area of your business.
Whether you are a seasoned customer service executive or newly hired customer service representative, the importance of providing effective, quality service is top priority. If your business is lacking in these areas than social media will be a quick reminder of who the focus should always be on – the customer.
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Social media has not only changed the landscape of how we communicate with customers, it has also changed the speed of how quickly we respond to complaints because no business wants their poor customer service to get plastered on Facebook, Twitter and Yelp. Therefore, being able to create a positive customer experience must be the top priority to master customer service and grow profit.
Without a doubt, to succeed in customer service you will need thick skin, a sense of humor and the patience of a saint. Customers know what they want and expect the representative to be able to deliver knowledge in a courtesy and empathetic manner. The psychology of customer service is ever changing and this means that the representative must adjust accordingly to each customer and be attentive. Customers also are busy and want to communicate with businesses when they want and if your company is not equipped to accommodate an omni-channel of communication modes than they better step up or be prepared to see a decline in profits. Creating multiple channels, such as email, mobile, social pages and live chat, is critical in providing stellar customer service.
Longevity in customer service is almost non-existent and not until recent years have you seen roles like Chief Customer Officer and Chief Customer Strategy Officer emerge across many industries. The turnover rate in the customer service profession is high and many agent’s burnout but there are those who excel and possess great interpersonal skills. A lack of investing back into the customer service training has contributed to the decline of dedicated customer service agents. Delivering outstanding service requires an empathic and apologetic tone and this is a skill that must be honed and not forced. The 8 tips shared below will either identify you as a customer service expert or provide you with insight on areas to improve.
Keep in mind, an unhappy customer will tell at least 10-15 people about their poor experience and even broadcast it to social media. Beat them to punch and ask for their feedback on how to improve your product/service. The best time to do this is immediately after purchase, either face-to -face, email or through a survey app. But to improve customer service you must know your customer, read Psychology of Customer Service for further ways to get in tune with your customers.
Customer Service Rules of Engagement
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- Consistency is Key Always make sure your processes and procedures are consistent across the board. Regardless if you are a small business owner, entrepreneur or a Fortune 500 company, you will need to provide consistency in your product and service. If you have a store front than your website should flow in line with what the store offers; inventory updated. Communication must be seamless across platforms; the experience on the phone should be the same as via email.
- Be Proactive with Customer Experience Get their feedback and find out what they want, not what you think they want. Be creative in solving problems; compensation is not always monetary. Always be prepared for worst case scenarios and when they arise the customer will be WOW’d by your quick response. Customers want to be heard and appreciated, and by asking for their input you develop a rapport and better yet a loyal customer and brand cheerleader.
- Continuous Improvement Now that you have the customer feedback, use it! You should always be in the mindset of growth. Growing your business, growing your profits and growing yourself. Take what the customer gave you and ask other customers if they also would like this product/service. Immediately improve upon anything that can be fixed quickly and with the least amount of expenses, this is called JDI (Just Do It). But sometimes you must make an investment in your business to make improvements and grow.
- Interpersonal Skills Everyone wants to be in business and thrive but not everyone has the stamina to survive customer service. If you have poor people skills than chances are you should not be the face of your company. The basic skills needed in customer service is clear communication, patience, being personable, empathetic, apologetic and attentive. There are other skills however if you do not have the basics than you will highly be a part of the group that burnout. To win the customer over and ensure return customers than you must get in touch with your feelings and the customer’s feelings. Not every customer will come right out and tell you what they want, some will belabor the point and you must know how to direct the conversation with ease to decipher their needs.
- Knowledgeable Being an expert in your field makes life much easier. Think about it….When a customer contacts you, they see you as the expert and expect for you to have the answers. Even if you do not see yourself as an expert, you have more knowledge about your product/service than the customer. If you do not than you better get to some classes and seminars and get to know your product/service inside and out. This is a quick way to lose business if you are not familiar with the item you are promoting. Customers come to you to make their life easy, even if you send them step-by-step instructions, they will still call you with questions.
- First Call Resolution Resolving an issue, the first time is top priority! The Customer Experience Executive Report indicates that First Call Resolution is highly regarded as an important factor when contacting a company. Even if customers are not calling your business, and the only interaction is via email or speaking face-to-face; they still want their issue resolved in the first contact. Create a quick reference guide based on the frequently asked questions and keep it handy for reference.
- Response Time As mentioned above, customers want what they want and when they want it therefore you must be accommodating. Customers do not like to wait and having more than one way to get in contact and communicate is best for both the customer and the business. Keep in mind the more platforms you have the more cumbersome it will become to manage. So before adding more channels of communication, make sure you can respond in a timely fashion. You may need to hire more help to improve your response time. Having trained representatives who are properly armed with the best resources will make for a pleasurable customer experience.
- Follow Up and Follow Through Always do what you say you are going to do. Keep a planner, I use the Best Self Planner, set reminders on your phone or in Outlook, keep a calendar, cork/chalk board, anything/something but make sure you follow through on your promise with your customers. Checking in after a few days or a week has passed to let them know that you have corrected their concerns goes a long way. A quick phone call or a short email is an excellent way to let the customer know you care.
Takeaways
Whichever tip you decide to follow, the idea is to incorporate them all, remember great customer service is dependent on getting the customer’s feedback.
Know your customer and know your business!
Jacqueline Michele Ridley is a board-certified problem solver (aka board-certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt), Customer Alignment Strategist (aka Customer Service Expert) and workflow strategist with over 25 years of experience in Customer Operations and Quality Improvements in multi-million-dollar businesses.
For information, visit JacquelineMichele.com
Follow on Instagram: _jacquelinemichele and ridleyandridleyconsulting
